Steve Wozniak to the FCC: Keep the Internet Free - Steve Wozniak - The Atlantic: "...Finally, the thought hit me that every time and in every way that the telecommunications careers have had power or control, we the people wind up getting screwed. Every audience that I speak this statement and phrase to bursts into applause. That's how the people think. They don't want this to encroach on their Internet freedom...."

Forget 'the Cloud,' Computing's Future Is in 'the Fog' - WSJ.com: "....Here's the reality: Getting data into and out of the cloud is harder than most engineers, or at least their managers, often are willing to admit. The problem is bandwidth....Overall, according to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. ranks 35th in the world in terms of bandwidth per user...."

Protecting Human Rights Online: Lessons from the Americas | Electronic Frontier Foundation: "... Here are the guiding principles for free expression and thought outlined by the report: Access: States should promote universal access, not only to infrastructure but also to technology necessary for its use, so as to make information on the Internet available to everyone. Pluralism: Maximizing the diversity of voices participating in the public debate is a goal in itself of the democratic process. In this sense, the report states that robust guarantees of the exercise of freedom of expression through the Internet are vital for opening up the public sphere. Non-discrimination: States must provide free access and user choice for sending and receiving any lawful content, application, or service through the Internet. Such content should not be subject to conditions, restrictions, and directives such as blocking, filtering, or interference. This is a necessary condition for exercising freedom of expression on the Internet. Privacy: Individual privacy should be carried out pursuant to reasonable and proportional standards that do not end up arbitrarily restricting the right to freedom of expression...."

Study released on US Federal Government IT problems (source: Politico ): HealthCare.gov is just one of many federal IT disasters and the Public Spend Forum has released a report and hosted a roundtable that explored why the government struggles to buy and manage its technology. The study covers many of the issues: failure of leadership, "checks the box" culture, and proscriptive requirements. The report says federal projects fail because no one can agree on the actual problem. Recommendations include establishing clear lines of authority, developing simple requests that draw in a broader array of vendors and encouraging risk-taking. The report is here: http://publicspendforum.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/billionsinthebalance.pdf

AT&T Says It Wants to Sell Web TV, Too | Re/code: "AT&T’s proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV will accelerate its plans to offer an Internet television service. AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said DirecTV holds established entertainment industry relationships that will help speed the company’s efforts to deliver video via mobile devices and high-speed Internet service. He told Wall Street investors that he anticipates offering an Internet TV service within 12 to 18 months of the deal closing...."

Modi's Role Model: Margaret Thatcher or Lee Kuan Yew? : The New Yorker: "....Relative to his predecessors, he is likely to emphasize manufacturing and infrastructure projects—two key aspects of the “Asian tiger” model—such as his proposal for a high-speed rail network. In addition, he will probably talk about expanding the ASEAN-India free-trade area and liberalizing India’s employment laws, which nearly all sides agree need some reform. In historical terms, though, that would all add up to more of the same medicine that India has been taking for twenty-odd years, rather than a radical break in a Thatcherite direction..."

Everything You Need To Know About Twitch.tv And Why Company Could Be A Steal For Google - Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) | Seeking Alpha: ".... The first reason why Twitch is a compelling acquisition target in the content space is because it avoids all costs associated with generating content... The other factor that YouTube has been trying to mimic lately is how players on Twitch have immense individual brand power. Twitch.tv is just as much about telling the narrative of the individuals as it is about watching them play video games. On Twitch can you watch a high school student go from playing 2-3 hours per day after he finishes his homework to competing on the Staples Center stage for a million bucks, and experience all the highs and lows along the way.... "

Bitcoin Exchanges Probed Over Shuttered Drug Market - WSJ.com: "U.S. authorities have opened a new front in their investigation into bitcoin exchanges and other businesses that deal in the online currency, examining possible ties between the firms and the online drug bazaar Silk Road, according to people familiar with the matter...."